Couponing…Do I have to?

May 25, 2011

Ok, I’m giving in, but I’m doing it with a little kicking and screaming. I don’t like couponing. I don’t like sitting down and cutting them out. I don’t like trying to figure out which ones I need. I don’t like it at all.

Here is what I do like. I like making a menu and shopping according to that and some extra money wouldn’t hurt either. That’s it! Simple enough. But, we’re at a point where I don’t have much choice; well, we do have a choice. I guess we could just keep going on the way we’re going and spending a fortune since grocery prices are sky-high. But I really don’t want to do that either, I have way too many things on my list that my family really needs. Like clothes, shoes and curriculum and paying a bill would be great!

So, I’m going to give couponing a try. I still want to plan my menus though! For some reason I have a hard time wrapping my head around the way the people in TLC’s Extreme Couponing do it. I just don’t have the space to store that kind of food nor do I want to. I think some of them of an addiction issue. Sorry! I just want to be able to walk out the grocery store with a good bit of groceries on the cheap that matches my menu (at some point at least).

I’ve collect some coupon papers and cut them all out, which is the part I really despise. It took forever! I don’t know how some people spend 30 hours a week doing this! Now picture a sea of coupons all over my desk that has spilled all over the floor thanks to a ceiling fan and a very lazy cat and that is where I am right now.

Update! A few hours (yes, for me hours) later and I’m finally finished. My coupons are now organized and in a binder! My hubby was so proud he made supper! Now on to making my grocery list, menu, comparing sales and finding the coupons to match or to stock up on, which was it? Wish me luck and much patience!

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I used to be a couponer (not a word? Well, it is now) but it forced me to buy a bunch of garbage that I normally wouldn’t ever buy. Did I really NEED 12 cans of air freshener? Well, no. No one in my house stinks that bad and if they did, a bar of soap would be more appropriate. lol The hours spent trying to find the deals really threw a wrench in our days and running to 4 different stores was just burning up money in the gas tank so I figured it was probably all coming out even in the end so I stopped. I hope it works out better for you! I have a lot of friends who are faithfully couponing but they also have a pantry full of air freshener because you can’t pass up free, right? lol

My daughter is the one that is forcing me into it. I always maintained that I save just as much getting the store brand of food. Now, my daughter wants to do it and I do think it could help her hone her math skills. So now I guess I am going to give it a try. That is the best way to get me to do things, mom guilt.
Best wishes,
Kori

Tera- You don’t have to clip them all! You can use the paper insert method. It’s where you label the coupon inserts with the dates and file them just like that. Then when you need them you just look under that date and clip only the ones you need. All the couponing websites should tell you where to find every coupon they match for you. I send everyone to Southern Savers. She has easy, thorough printable lists:)